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HRPA Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Guide October 2019

Table of Contents

Part 1: Information that all should know about the CPD requirement

Purpose of the CPD requirement ......................................................................................................... 2

CPD eligibility explained ....................................................................................................................... 2

Part 2: Information for those who are subject to the CPD requirement should know

Linking activities to the CPD objectives................................................................................................ 3

CPD Pre-approval & CPD codes ............................................................................................................ 4

CPD Categories ..................................................................................................................................... 4

Timelines and Due Dates ...................................................................................................................... 5

Submitting the CPD Log........................................................................................................................ 5

Notification of Results .......................................................................................................................... 5

Requesting an Extension ...................................................................................................................... 6

Audit of CPD Logs ................................................................................................................................. 7

Suspension and revocation of designations ......................................................................................... 7

Maintaining the integrity of the CPD process ...................................................................................... 7

Part 3: Information for those who wish to have a program, event, or activity pre-approved for CPD credit should know

Criteria for CPD and CPD pre-approval are not the same .................................................................... 8

CPD Pre-approval for 3rd parties .......................................................................................................... 9

HRPA Speakers’ Bureau ...................................................................................................................... 10

Appendix A: Instructions for use of the online CPD log ........................................................................... 11

Appendix B: Ancillary documents ............................................................................................................. 14

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Part 1: Information that all should know about the CPD requirement Purpose of CPD requirement

HRPA’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirement is part of HRPA’s Quality Assurance

Program. The purpose of HRPA's CPD requirement is to minimize the risk of harm or potential risk of harm

to the public stemming from the practice of the profession by furthering one or more of the following

objectives:

a. promoting continuing competence and continuing quality improvement;

b. remedying identified gaps in knowledge, skills; and competence;

c. addressing changes in practice environments;

d. managing the transition to new areas of professional practice; and

e. reinforcing standards of practice and incorporating advances in technology into one practice as a

Human Resources professional.

The rules governing HRPA’s CPD requirement are set out in Section 11 of HRPA’s By-laws.

CPD is an individual matter in the sense that each and every professional subject to the CPD requirement is

responsible for ensuring that their CPD activities are guided by the objectives above and are conducted in

accordance with the By-laws and other related policies established by HRPA.

The CPD requirement requires that designated registrants (i.e., registrants authorized to use the CHRP,

CHRL, and/or CHRE designations) participate in a specified amount of professional development activities

in a set period of time. CPD activities are tracked in hours. In many cases, one hour of participation in an

eligible activity equals one hour of CPD credit. However, some types of activity have limits to the number

of hours that can be applied.

Designated registrants subject to the CPD requirement are required to submit a log of their CPD activities

every three years. CPD logs are subject to audit by HRPA. Designated registrants who are subject to a CPD

audit are required to submit documentation to support the activities listed in their CPD log.

The CPD requirement is self-managed for the most part. This means that designated registrants are

responsible for choosing their CPD activities and ensuring that these activities are eligible for CPD.

What makes an activity eligible for CPD?

The essential requirement for eligibility as a CPD activity is that the activity is linked directly to one or more

of the CPD objectives listed above. Registrants subject to the CPD requirement are personally responsible

for ensuring that all the activities they include in their CPD log are linked directly to one or more of the CPD

objectives listed above. If a professional cannot directly link an activity to one or more of the CPD

objectives listed above, then this activity should not be included in their CPD log. The link to the CPD

objectives needs to be direct and relate to the individual’s specific professional practice. When CPD logs

are audited, it is this link between the CPD objectives and the individual’s specific professional practice

which is the subject of verification.

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Pre-approval of a CPD activity is not required for an activity to be eligible for CPD credit. A CPD code is not

required for an activity to be eligible for CPD credit.

Part 2: Information for those who are subject to the CPD requirement should know

Linking an activity, program or event to one or more of the CPD objectives

The link between the activity and one or more of the CPD objectives should be clear and direct. The link

between a CPD activity and one or more of the CPD objectives listed above should be genuine and not be

artificial or contrived. To be appropriate as a CPD activity, the activity, program or event should:

• promote continuing competence and quality improvement in a specific aspect of one’s practice as

a Human Resources professional, and/or

• remedy an identified gap in one’s knowledge, skills; and competence, and/or

• address changes in one’s practice environment such that continued professional competence

requires the development of new knowledge, skills; and competence, and/or

• manage the transition to new areas of professional practice; and/or

• reinforce standards of practice and incorporate advances in technology into one’s practice as a

Human Resources professional.

The most effective CPD follows from a thoughtful self-assessment of one’s practice as a Human Resources

professional and is pre-meditated in the sense that one’s CPD activities are chosen deliberately to meet

one of the CPD objectives. One should consider where one’s practice poses or may potentially pose risks of

harm to the public. Possible gaps are not only in terms of knowledge, skill and competence but also in

terms of ethics and conduct. The HRPA Human Resources Competency Framework and the HRPA Rules of

Professional Conduct are useful reference documents in this respect.

All designated registrants are required to obtain 66.67 CPD hours every three years. While there is no

requirement to obtain a certain number of hours each year, designated registrants are strongly encouraged

to design a personal professional development plan that outlines an annual schedule to ensure that CPD is

a manageable and a professionally enriching experience. All CPD activities should be tracked in the

designated registrant’s CPD log. Designated registrants can choose to either use the online CPD log

available via the Dashboard in their Profile or download a hard copy CPD Log.

Detailed instructions on how to access the online log are included as an appendix at the end of the Guide.

CPD hours can be earned through continuing education, leadership activities, instructional activities,

completion of significant work projects and/or initiatives, and research or publication.

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CPD Pre-approval and CPD codes

Pre-approved CPD activities are activities whose content and/or application are linked in general to the

practice of Human Resources. CPD codes are assigned to pre-approved programs. The CPD code makes

logging an activity in the CPD log easier, and entering the code populates the CPD log with the details of

the activity. If one forgets the CPD code, or if for some reason the CPD code was never given, the activity is

still eligible for CPD credit and can be added manually to the Designated registrant’s CPD log.

As stated above, it is important to remember that an activity doesn’t need to be pre-approved for CPD to

be eligible for CPD credit. Activities are eligible as long as they are linked directly to one or more of the

CPD objectives.

It is also important to remember that just because something has been pre-approved for CPD doesn’t

mean that it would qualify for CPD credit for every HR professional. For example, a program on

mindfulness may be appropriate for a professional charged with increasing workforce resilience and

wellness, but less so for a professional accountable for compensation planning who registered for the

activity to improve personal resilience.

What categories qualify for CPD?

The CPD process has five development categories as well as different types of activities that fall within each

category. Each activity is allotted CPD hours. Designated registrants do not need to accrue Continuing

Professional Development hours in all categories.

Designated registrants are encouraged to consider all sections of the log when meeting the continuing

professional development requirement. The following is an overview of the main categories, please

consult the log for more detailed information:

Development Category Maximum Hours per

Three Year CPD Period

Activities Include but are not Limited to:

Category A – Continuing Education 66.67 hours Seminars

Workshops

Conferences

Self-directed learning

Category B – Leadership 46.67 hours Mentoring

Volunteering

Category C – Instruction 46.67 hours Developing courses

Teaching courses

Category D – Significant Work

Projects/Initiatives

50 hours First time HR management projects

Secondments

Significant Process Updates

Category E – Research or

Publication

33.33 hours Conducting research

Publishing a new text

Acceptance of a master’s thesis

HR related book review

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Please note that HRPA staff cannot comment on whether particular activities will qualify for CPD.

Timelines and Due Dates

The CPD cycle is aligned with the renewal cycle. This means that all designated registrants are required to

submit a completed CPD log every three years by May 31st.

A registrant’s first CPD period starts on the date they are granted their first designation. To align the first

CPD cycle with the May 31st submission deadline, the CPD submission deadline for newly designated

registrants is set as the fourth May 31st after the first designation was granted. This means the first CPD

period for newly designated registrants will be slightly longer than three years.

A designated registrant’s CPD period does not change when they are granted another designation.

For example, a designated CHRP registrant who obtains the CHRL will have the same CPD period that was

set when the CHRP was granted for both designations. Information about a registrant’s CPD period is

included in the granting letter for each designation.

Only activities a designated registrant participates in during his or her current CPD cycle can be included in

his or her CPD log.

In the year in which a designated registrant is due to submit their log, HRPA will provide courtesy email

reminders six months, three months and one month before the log is due. Designated registrants are

responsible for ensuring HRPA has their current email address. Ultimately, registrants are responsible

for their compliance with the CPD requirement.

Designated registrants may obtain information about their personal CPD deadline date by:

• Consulting the letter, they received upon earning the designation;

• Consulting their online log;

• Contacting the Office of the Registrar at registrar@hrpa.ca or 416-923-2324 or 1-800-387-1311

Submitting the CPD Log

The CPD log can be submitted early, once the required 66.67 CPD hours have been achieved, but submitted

no later than by midnight on May 31st the year the log is due. Please note that submitting the log early does

not affect the next CPD cycle. Once the log has been received, the designated registrant will receive a

confirmation email acknowledging the submission. CPD activities completed between the date of

submission and the actual submission deadline cannot be carried forward to the next CPD period.

Notification of Results

HRPA does its best to review logs within eight to ten weeks of submission. Once the log has been reviewed,

the designated registrant will receive a confirmation email including information regarding the registrant’s

next CPD period. The registrant’s record will also be updated accordingly.

If during the review HRPA notices any issues with the log, for example, if activities are deemed to be

outside of the designated registrant’s CPD period or if there are concerns about the appropriateness of an

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activity for CPD, the registrant will receive a follow up email outlining the issues and next steps. Next steps

can include logging additional activities or providing further information about how an activity furthers the

registrant’s HR skills.

Please note that the review does not mean that the log has been approved or is exempted from being

selected for the CPD audit.

Requesting an Extension

Designated registrants who are unable to obtain the required 66.67 CPD hours during their three year

CPD period can request an extension by reviewing the CPD-Request-for-Extension-Policy and submitting

the form within the policy. Extensions can be granted for the following reasons:

a. parental leave

b. experiencing a prolonged illness

c. unemployment

d. Other (case-by-case) review by the CPD committee

Designated registrants who request a one-year extension will not borrow from their subsequent CPD cycle. For

example, if a registrant is due to submit their log by May 31, 2018, and they apply for an extension that is

approved, they are required to submit their log by May 31, 2019. The next 3-year CPD cycle remains intact

and would start June 1, 2019 (the day after the log is due) and end on May 31, 2022. If an extension is granted

for more than one-year, the registrant’s next CPD period will be less than three-years depending on the length

of the extension. The reasons for this are as follows:

a. It’s a question of public trust: a designation is not just an indication of past education and training;

it is a warrant of ongoing competence. Designated registrants are expected to have up-to-date

knowledge of relevant legislation and current HR standards and practices; a defined CPD period

that is not open to months or years of extension ensures this is the case.

b. There is no annual requirement. Designated registrants have the flexibility to earn their CPD at any

time during the three-year period.

c. There is a wide variety of activities that are eligible for CPD credit; hours can be earned even if the

registrant is not currently in the workforce, e.g., volunteering, mentoring/being mentored, free

webinars, etc.

The only exception are designated registrants who suffer from a prolonged illness affecting physical or mental

health that qualifies them for an ongoing extension. Designated registrants who have been granted an ongoing

extension are required to provide an updated doctor’s note every May 31st and must notify HRPA within 30

days once they are able to return to work. At that time, the matter will be referred to the CPD Committee, a

committee constituted of designated registrants, to develop a plan to bring the designated registrant’s CPD up

to date.

Designated registrants having difficulty meeting the CPD requirement are asked to contact HRPA. The CPD

Committee often works with designated registrants having difficulty meeting the CPD deadline to develop a

mutually acceptable plan for catching up.

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A registrant who is granted an extension may submit their log as soon as the required hours have been

achieved. The registrant’s next CPD period will start the date after the log is submitted.

For detailed information about extensions please review the CPD-Request-for-Extension-Policy.

Audit of CPD Logs

HRPA’s CPD Committee randomly audits 3% of the CPD logs that are due for submission each year.

Designated registrants randomly selected for the CPD audit will receive an email notification to that effect in

early spring and are required to submit supporting documentation for each activity in their CPD log by May

31st. The audit notification will include a sample listing of acceptable supporting documentation. It is the

designated registrant’s responsibility to compile and submit the supporting documentation for all CPD

activities, including those completed through the HRPA.

Please note that all designated registrants are required to keep the supporting documentation for the CPD

activities completed during their current CPD cycle for a period of two years after their CPD log is due or

submitted, whichever is later, in case they are audited.

Suspension and revocation of designations

Designated registrants who fail to meet the CPD requirement but whose registration remains active may

lose their designation and be switched to the Practitioner category. To be fair and transparent and to allow

designated registrants to rectify the issue, HRPA will provide those designated registrants with notice; a

thirty-day warning of impending suspension of their designation(s) in June, as well as a sixty-day warning of

suspension and impending revocation in July. Once revocation has occurred, the steps necessary to

reinstate or re-achieve the designation(s) will depend on a variety of factors. For detailed information

about the reinstatement or re-achievement process designated registrants should review the Designation-

Reinstatement-and-Re-achievement-Policy or contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@hrpa.ca.

Maintaining the integrity of the CPD process

As noted, the CPD process is self-managed for the most part. This means that maintaining the integrity of

the CPD process is a responsibility that falls on the shoulders of program providers and certified designated

registrants. It is important that all understand and apply the CPD eligibility criteria honestly. In the end,

however, it is the certified designated registrants who are responsible for ensuring that the activities listed

in their CPD log are appropriate CPD activities.

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Part 3: Information for those who wish to have a program, event, or activity pre-approved for CPD credit should know The criteria for eligibility for CPD and for CPD pre-approval are not the same

Eligibility as a CPD activity is an individual matter and is based on its link to the CPD objectives; CPD pre-

approval is based on fact that the content of the activity, program or event is focused on Human Resources

content and issues.

Because activities, programs or events with generic content may or may not be related to one or more of

the CPD objectives for any given professional, such activities, programs or events are not eligible for pre-

approval. However, as noted above, such activities may be eligible for CPD credit for some designated

registrants providing that a designated registrant can link the activity, program or event to one or more of

the CPD objectives.

To be eligible for CPD pre-approval, activities, programs or events must have as their purpose and intent

the imparting of knowledge or building of skills which would be transferable to the participants’

professional practice. Almost invariably, such activities, programs or events will have stated learning

objectives.

There are three categories of activities that are not eligible for CPD pre-approval:

a. Activities aiming at developing or enhancing generic skills

b. Activities related to personal self-improvement

c. Motivational speakers

These are activities, programs, or events that were not developed with the practice of Human Resources in

mind and there is no strong or obvious connection and/or correlation to the practice of Human Resources.

Some examples are given below:

a. Activities aiming at developing or enhancing generic skills:

• Computer skills

• Presentation skills

• Writing skills

• Project management skills

• Networking skills

• Job search skills

• Negotiation skills

• Storytelling skills

• Influencing skills

For example, a generic negotiation skills program would not be appropriate for CPD pre-approval, but a

program on negotiating collective agreements would be appropriate for CPD pre-approval.

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Notwithstanding, for some designated registrants, participation in a generic negotiation skills program may

well be linked to one of the legitimate CPD objectives. In such cases, this activity would be appropriate for

inclusion in the CPD log even though it is not pre-approved. However, in such cases, there is a greater

requirement to demonstrate the relevance of learnings to one’s professional practice. A useful approach

here is to describe in the CPD log how the learnings from the activity, program or event were put into

practice. If one cannot describe specific learnings from participation in the activity, program or event, or if

one cannot describe how the learnings from such activities, programs or events were put into practice, the

activity should not be logged as a CPD activity.

b. Activities related to personal self-improvement:

• Mindfulness

• Stress management

• Resilience

• Fitness

• Reading self-help books

• Completing personality tests or inventories

• Psychotherapy

It should also be noted that there is a difference between a program focused on personal self-

improvement and a program focused on implementing a personal self-improvement program for

employees. For instance, a stress management program would not be eligible for pre-approval but a

program on how to implement a stress management program in one’s organization would be.

c. Motivational speakers

• Sessions intended to energize, uplift, and motivate (e.g., Power of Success with Tony

Robbins and Friends Toronto 2019, Motivation that Moves U)

There is a difference between entertainment and learning—although some learning can be entertaining.

The difference, again, is in the intent—the purpose and the intent of the activity, program or event must

be to impart knowledge or build skills which would be transferable to one’s professional practice.

Magicians, hypnotists, storytellers may be entertaining but their intent is not to impart knowledge or build

skills which would be transferable to one’s professional practice. Also, not eligible for pre-approval are

product demos.

CPD Pre-Approval process for third-party vendors

Upon receiving an application, HRPA can pre-approve CPD activities for our Professional Development

Department, Chapters and third-party vendors. HRPA cannot pre-approve CPD activities for individual

registrants.

Before designated registrants enroll in a seminar, workshop or conference that is linked directly to one or

more of the CPD objectives for their individual HR practice, they may look for the following seal to ensure

that the activity has been pre-approved for CPD hours:

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Upon completion of a pre-approved activity, designated registrants will receive the CPD code from the third-

party vendor. If they don’t receive the CPD code, the activity can still be logged manually without the code.

Pre-approved codes are date specific and only apply to the live offering of an activity. For example, a

registrant can only log the CPD code if they attended the activity on the live date. If attended on a later

date (via a webinar), the activity can still be logged without the CPD code as the content still qualifies.

Please keep in mind that it’s the responsibility of the registrant to track their own professional

development activities.

HRPA Speakers’ Bureau

HRPA’s pre-approval criteria and process do not approve speakers for the simple reason that many

speakers can, and do, make presentations on many topics. HRPA’s pre-approval criteria and process focus

on the content of the presentation.

The Speaker’s Bureau gives a list of speakers and the topics for which they have been pre-approved.

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Appendix A: Instructions for use of the online CPD log

The online log is the recommended way to submit your CPD hours. The log serves as a tracking tool and

should be used in conjunction with the hardcopy CPD log which contains more detailed information about

the different categories, activities, and how to calculate the appropriate CPD hours.

To access/use the log:

1. Go to the HRPA website www.hrpa.ca

2. Log into your registrant profile with your HRPA Username and Password:

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3. In your registrant profile go to the Dashboard:

4. Click on the Dashboard, and scroll down the page to ‘Additional Profile Pages’ and select

‘Continuing Professional Development’:

5. The summary at the top of the page lists your current CPD period and indicates how many hours

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you have logged per development category to date, as well as the total number of hours achieved. To manually add an activity, complete the following steps:

a. Select the Category (i.e. A. Continuing Education) b. Select the Activity Type using the drop-down menu (i.e. A1), and click the ‘Add’ button c. Input the activity information in the description box and click ‘Save’

To add pre-approved activities with a CPD code, click on ‘Add by Code’ and input the code and the details related to the activity will be added to the CPD log. Once you have reached the required 66.67 CPD hours, a red Submit feature will appear asking you to submit the log. The log will only be submitted once you have clicked on the red hyperlink.

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Appendix B: Ancillary documents

Ancillary documents Hyperlink

Hard copy CPD log

This document is a guide that outlines the five

categories of CPD, the various development

activities, and how to the appropriately calculate

CPD hours.

CPD-Log

CPD Pre-Approval Applications for Program or

Provider status.

Intended for third-party vendors seeking

accreditation.

CPD-Program-Guidebook-Application

CPD-Provider-Guidebook-Application

CPD Extension Form and Policy.

For designated registrants who were unable to

obtain the required 66.67 CPD hours during their

CPD period.

CPD-Request-for-Extension-Policy Form

Reinstatement and Re-achievement policy.

This policy outlines the necessary steps to reinstate

or re-achieve a designation.

Designations/Reinstatement-Re-achievement-Policy

CPD Audit Supporting Documents template.

This document outlines the supporting documents

that are deemed sufficient by the CPD committee

for the CPD audit review.

CPD-Audit-Supporting-Documentation-Samples

HRPA Rules of Professional Conduct.

This document sets out the duties of human

resources professionals toward employers or clients,

employees, other professionals, the profession, and

the public.

HRPA Rules-of-Professional-Conduct

HRPA Professional Competency Framework.

This document outlines the competency framework

for the human resources profession.

HRPA Professional-Competency-Framework

Section 11 of HRPA By-Laws.

Designated registrants should review Section 11 of

the By-Laws that addresses the CPD requirement.

HRPA By-Laws